Catch Rick Steves’ “European Christmas” on PBS–or order the DVD, CD, and book directly from Rick for only $29.95. A beautiful overview of how Christmas is celebrated across Europe. Update: They shipped it November 28 and it arrived December 4. The book contains photos and additional info from the show, including all the recipes.

Though we most often associate Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims, it didn’t become a national celebration until 1863, when, in the middle of a war, President Abraham Lincoln called for a national day of Thanksgiving to be held on the last Thursday of November. That year had been a bloody one: Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Chickamauga—the three bloodiest…